Bodybuilding.com Announces Supplement Award Nominees for 2008!

This just in from Bodybuilding.com:

Boise, ID – June 22, 2008 – Bodybuilding.com announced their 2008 Supplement Award nominees today, recognizing industry leaders delivering high-quality, effective products. Leading the way with 20 nominations was BSN, followed by Universal with 16 nominations. Over 70 brands were nominated in all. Winners will be announced live on the 2008 Mr. Olympia Expo stage. This year’s Olympia Weekend will feature Mr. Olympia, Ms. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, Figure Olympia, and others. The event is scheduled for September 25–28 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“This award allows the customer to vote on which supplements they think are the highest-quality and most-effective in helping them achieve their shape and fitness goals,” said Ryan DeLuca, CEO of Bodybuilding.com. The nominees include leading products in each award category, selected from the 8,000+ products Bodybuilding.com carries. New this year, winners will be selected solely by votes of online visitors to Bodybuilding.com (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/supplementawardpage.htm). In past years, winners were determined 80% from the general public, 10% from industry experts, and 10% from Bodybuilding.com employees.

This year’s Bodybuilding.com Supplement Award categories are:
•Supplement Of The Year
•Brand Of The Year
•Muscle Builder Of The Year
•Fat Loss Product Of The Year
•Protein Powder Of The Year
•Creatine Product Of The Year
•Protein Bar Of The Year
•New Product Of The Year
•New Brand Of The Year
•Nitric Oxide Product Of The Year
•Glutamine Product Of The Year
•Multi-Vitamin Of The Year
•Joint Supplement Of The Year
•Energy Supplement Of The Year
•Best Labels Of The Year
•Best Ads Of The Year
•Tanning Product Of The Year
•Break-Out Brand Of The Year
•Best RTD Of The Year *NEW CATEGORY

Anyone can cast their vote for their favorite supplements at Bodybuilding.com. This is the company’s fourth year presenting the distinguished Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards. Last year, a record 278,000 votes were cast, and plans are to surpass that number this year.

For more information visit: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/supplementawardpage.htm

Motivation: Exercise Your Demons!

In those exorcism horror movies, the priest has to have consent from the possessed individual to begin the exorcism. That's because the exorcism will not work if the individual is unwilling to be rid of the demons. The individual cannot give in nor give up hope. They must be strong and faithful.

I'm saying this to hopefully give you another perspective to fitness and exercise. It's not just about obesity, but also the habits and addictions we give in to with obesity being the likely result. Too much eating and not enough exercise to burn the calories. Or exercising the right way but not eating the right foods, thinking the exercise would burn off the calories, or thinking the exercise balances out the junk food we consume. It's not that easy. You have to be willing to dedicate yourself to being healthy, without giving up. Exercise and a nutritional diet can help get you there! And need I remind you about supplements?

If you're reading this with a donut in your mouth, asking yourself, "I should start working out. But where do I even begin?", you first have to be willing to dedicate yourself to getting healthy. So the best place to start is by throwing the rest of that donut away and reading on!

If you're reading this, and if time permits, I suggest dropping everything and picking up some training equipment. A set of dumbbells and a bench is a basic, but good way to start you off. You can check out vids from Bodybuilding.com for a directory of exercises for every muscle group, most of which can be done at home. Give it about a week or two, and when you start to feel stronger, then you should sign up to a gym. Training at home will boost your self esteem and, of course, build some muscle and strength before you start to hit the gym. If you do decide to start at home, I would suggest taking alot of antioxidants, because of the air you breathe in your home may not be as clean as the air outside, or in the gym. Green tea would work best for you here.

Don't let your gut be your inner demon and tell you that it's too late, that exercise won't work because you're just too obese, or too busy. And don't give in to it by telling yourself that you're happy with being overweight. If you think you're happy now, just try working out for a couple months - you'll be ecstatic then!

Why It's Not A Good Idea To Eat Before Bed

I was just reading this post on this one blog and the author is telling me how I should always eat before bedtime. If you have the same train of thought as him and you think eating before you go to sleep is beneficial, I'm here to tell you why it's not! Without the research!

First off, you sleep to rest your body, recover your muscles, and let your brain cool off. And to do this, your body releases a chemical called melatonin, which calms the body. When you wake up the next day, you should feel energized and prepared for the day.

You eat because your body needs nourishment and more energy for optimal performance. To do this, your body increases metabolism to help digest the foods, giving you a little energy after each meal. Eat too much, and it will have the adverse effect, and you will get very lazy or sleepy. That's why it's better to eat up to six small meals a day - that helps keep your metabolism up throughout the day. You will still live if you skip one day without eating, but you will find that your brain cannot function as well, you will become tired, and you already know about the hunger pangs!

Should you have that leftover meatball sub before you hit the hay? Please don't! The problem with eating is that when you eat before bed time, your body will increase it's metabolism, while your brain is excreting melatonin, which is not a good combination to digest foods you ate. This can affect your sleeping habits over time, and promote obesity!

If you eat late at night, you're less likely to eat breakfast in the morning. And that is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast is the first meal you eat, so your body is in need of nourishment, and will absorb food the fastest in the morning. Eating before bed does not benefit you there.

Eating just before bed can cause psychological distress! Ok, so I checked out a magazine here. But there are some good points I want to share with you. Besides the fact that a midnight snack can disrupt your sleeping habits, you also may be suseptible to binge eating. Australian researchers found that many night eaters reported waking from sleep specifically to snack. Sleep is extremely important, and you need to get a good night's rest. But waking up at 3:00 am to go to the bathroom due to indigestion is not going to help you get some rest!

Last but not least... sleeping promotes obesity, like stated earlier. When you eat late at night, you're less likely to grab an orange or an apple to snack on, and more likely to grab a sandwich! When sleeping, the fats and carbs you consume are more likely to be stored as fat, not be burned as energy as that blog post claims.

But I know for some of you, it's not easy to pull out of this habit. Either you have a busy schedule or the hunger pangs are just killing you, and you need to eat something to satify your stomach. Remember miscellar casein protein? It's not a food you need to digest, it's a protein drink, a slow digesting protein drink, so you won't have to worry about indigestion. You're also feeding your muscles with protein, for up to 7hrs, so it helps build mass!

You might know what's coming up next - time to advertise! I myself drink casein protein, and it's helped me to pack on some mass (along with a brutal workout regimen and a good diet, but not great xD). I suggest reaching for a tub of 100% Casein instead of some leftover spaghetti and meatballs. Your mind and body will thank you for it!

Supplement Review: NO Shotgun

Bodybuilders throughout the nation know of this product. A matrix of N.O, creatine, protein, caffeine, and other ingredients really boost your effectiveness in the gym. I'm actually going to order another tub of it soon as payday arrives!

First time I tried this product, I was like, "Eh, not bad. Thought it was gonna taste like Garbage, but this is pretty good! Not as horrible as they say!". Soon as I hit the gym, I noticed I was more focused and warmer than I was 15min ago (if you buy a good NO product, you might feel a little warm when it kicks in, completely natural, as your veins are more vasodialated than before and blood is already rushing throughout your body). But it wasn't until I did bicep curls to failure when I noticed I did more than my usualy number and I wasn't even fatigued in the least bit! And the pumps... I still felt it about 2hrs after I left the gym that day! Very awesome supplement to try out - I highly recommend it!

What is N.O? It's a free form gas that is produced by the body to communicate with other cells in the body. To do this, the body breaks down the amino acid arginine. You can find out more on N.O here.

What does it do? Like stated earlier, it has an ingredient matrix comprised of N.O, creatine, caffeine, and proteins. So this product has various uses. If you want to lose weight, drink one serving 30min before you hit the treadmil, and you will notice your endurance is significantly improved. If you want to gain mass, drink a serving before workout and you will notice you can lift heavier (always make sure you have a spotter when doing so, just in case), or perform more reps per set. Need a quick wake-me-up? Drink one serving before you go to work, and you will be more focused and energetic!

You may want to take certain measures when drinking this product. It contains caffeine, so if you're sensitive, you may want to cut the serving size by half. Also, take too much N.O supplements at one time and you may experience diarrhea and nausea. If in doubt, it's always good to take a small serving and find your tolerance level for N.O products.

I've takin this product for over a couple months, and I haven't grown tolerant to it's effects so far. That happened with the NaNO x9. I had to up my dosage from the minimal dosage to the recommended dosage get the same effect. But NO Shotgun is pretty effective. I would recommend it to men who are seeing small gains in the gym, or have reached a plateau in their training. I don't know it's effects on women, so I can't recommend it to them as of right now. Haven't found an N.O product for the ladies neither, so if you find one, let me know!

What separates this product from the others? It's effectiveness. It is not a placebo effect taking over your body when you use this stuff. You really feel the pumps, you really see the veins, and in time, you will undoubtly notice results sooner than if you didn't take anything at all! A rival supplement in the NO category so far is NO Xplode. That one also gets good reviews, but I hear people have gotten jittery after taking it. Or the pump doesn't last as long. There is maybe a 25:75 ratio of bad reviews to good reviews on NO Xplode. For NO Shotgun, the ratio might be 10:90. Barely anyone makes a bad review about this product, except for its bad taste. I don't think it's that bad.

Fortunately, VPX has come out with a reformulated product that should give the same results that's a little easier on the palate. In fact, I've heard it tastes better than Kool-Aid! xD

A Great Supplement Stack For: Beginners

If you're just starting a workout program, and you haven't exercised in awhile, you know what the next day has in store for you: sore muscles. And if you don't eat healthy, you'll barely notice any results. But I know it's hard to stay on a strict diet... and that's where supplements come in. 

Diet and exercise are the two most important things you have to work on to get results. And that takes time; you may not even notice the small gains you get for months of hard work (depending on the individual, of course)! Supplementation is being proved time and time again to get results faster, and in a healthier fashion, because most of the supplements out there are natural. Like, if a bodybuilder says they're natural, it doesn't mean they don't take anything at all (they may supplement with creatine, whey protein and/or other supplements), it just means they don't use testosterone boosters or steroids, which is a drug. 

In the sidebar to the right, you'll find a stack that I recommend for beginners. This should benefit anyone, of all types and genders. And here's why:

1. Soy Protein - A great alternative for those who are lactose intolerant. Provides protein, as well as antioxidants and amino acids. It's also fat free, and usually has less calories than whey protein.
2. Multi Vitamin - Because of... you guessed it: vitamins! Everybody that is looking to stay healthy needs to take a multi everyday, to ensure that the body performs at it's best, plus, you don't want to be found deficient in any of the essential vitamins and minerals. Especially vitamin C, which can cause scurvy!
3. Fish Oil - Very important to the novice bodybuilder, but really benefits everyone! Fish oil has a rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, which promotes a healthy cardiovascular system, and supports long-term cardiovascular health! Also supports brain health, optimum cognition and thinking, in addition to supporting normal moods. I've just found a new product from Optimum Nutrition, called Salmon Oil Softgels (very original name, huh?)

A great way to optimize your perfomance in the gym (or the house, wherever you choose to exercise!), these supplements cover all your bases for your short-term and long-term goals. These products are also cost effective, only about $33.47 (excludes s&h) total!

So why not give it a shot? Your body will thank you for it!

What to Look For in Protein Drinks (pt.2)

In the last post, I went over the ingredients to look out for when selecting a protein drink that you'll benefit from the most. But I forgot to inform you as to which is more convenient to make (unless you buy an Ready To Drink product, then you won't have to worry about it).

Protein is beneficial and is highly recommended to stay healthy, and even gain some muscle mass (or in this case, Muscle Armor!), but there are other factors you may need to know when selecting a protein drink that's best for you.

Taste is a big factor. No matter how nutritious a protein drink is, if it tastes bad, then you will cringe whenever it's time to drink up. And possibly, in time, you might stop drinking it altogether. Try drinking an EAS Myoplex and tell me what you think.

Does it mix easily? If you try the cheaper products, you get what you pay for, and you can see it in clump form. Take GNC's %100 Whey, for instance. I've tried it myself, and found the taste to be o.k. It's drinkable. But if you tried to mix it with a spoon, you get clumps, despite their claim that it's "Quick Dissolving". It isn't. Be warned.

Is the product worth the price? Take MRI's Pro Nos, for instance. From what I've heard, it's a high quality product. Easy to mix, easy to digest, and it tastes great. But the problem is in the price tag. For 3 lbs, it costs $43.99 (wow!). Also, they recommend you take two scoops each time, and if you check the servings per container, you get 19 servings. Less than a month for a 3 lbs whey protein product that costs $43.99. To me, there are other products available that work as good without the hefty pricing.

Also, there is sort of a thing called "deceptive marketing". It's not false advertising, but if you look at these products, they advertise that you get 40 or 50 grams of protein per serving! Now, I didn't say per scoop... I said per serving. Serving size depends on the manufacture. For the previously mentioned Pro Nos, it's two scoops. For AHN's (Advanced Health Nutrition) Muscle Food product, the recommended serving size is 3 scoops. You get the point. If you want to find the grams of protein per scoop, you gotta do some division.

Here is a list of products that give you the bang for your buck (courtesy of Bodybuilding.com):

1. MuscleTech's Nitro-Tech Hardcore - Only $27.99 for 2 lbs, this product is loaded with different ingredients to optimize your performance in the gym. Just be wary of side effects (bloating, gastrointestinal problems).
   
2. Optimum Nutrition's 2:1:1 Recovery - A great deal for $35.97 for 3.73 lbs! Lasts about a month, with great benefits that I've went over in the previous post.
3. Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard 24 Pak Whey & Casein Stack - A special package from Optimum Nutrition! Hurry while it lasts!
4. Cytosport's Muscle Milk - Long established in the supplement industry, Muscle Milk is definately the best tasting protein available today! Wide array of flavors to choose from!
5. Higher Power's %100 Whey Powder - The best deal available here! Under $35 for over 5 lbs! Low in calories, high in protein... this should last you for over two months!

There are other products out there, but these are the best whey protein supplements you can get for a low price. If interested in purchasing, I would recommend buying a small tub, in case you don't like the flavor and want to try something else.

If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll answer soon as I can!

What to Look for In Protein Drinks

There are alot of protein drinks available nowadays. I walked into a gas station earlier, and I saw they had Cytosport's Muscle Milk in supply! How convenient for getting your protein on the go! Whey protein is widely available pretty much everywhere. But which product is more effective than others?

What is whey protein? It is a protein derived from milk. During the process of turning milk into cheese, whey protein is separated out. Protein can also be found in a variety of foods such as meats and some vegetables -- soy being one of them.

You can use whey protein for cutting weight, gaining weight, or just maintaining muscle mass. But with the surplus of whey protein products to choose from, it may be beneficial to know what ingredients are in those products to make a wise decision. Because you don't want to buy a product that's geared towards gaining weight when you're trying to slim down, and you don't want to use miscellar casein protein for a preworkout supplement. That wouldn't be good!

Before I get into the ideal protein drink, I'll go over the ingredients and their benefits for supplementation.

• Whey protein - Like stated earlier, it comes from milk products. The reason why there's so many whey products today is because of it's proven benefits for everyone trying to stay healthy. Studies have been conducted to compare whey protein to other sources, and have found that whey protein contains the perfect combination of overall amino acid makeup... and in just the right concentrations for optimal performance in the body. Studies have also found that whey protein plays a role as an antioxidant and helps support a healthy immune system!
• Soy Protein - A complete protein that ranks high in the PDCASS (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score). Soy protein is generally either low in, or free, in fat, cholesterol, and lactose (soy vegetables don't get fat! xD). The anabolic isoflavones in soy (genistein and daidzein), not only have exhibited effects as powerful antioxidants, but have been shown to exhibit positibe health benefits for both men and women. Brand new research found that genistein, a soy phytoestrogen, increased the amount of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) produced by blood vessals (I'll get more into Nitric Oxide in a later post)!
• Micellar Casein Protein - An extremely slow digesting and rich protein source that continues to supply the body with proteins throughout the day. Studies with this undenatured form of isolated casein protein have demonstrated it to sustain steady amino acid elevations for an incredible 7 hours! Micellar has been shown to offer a strong an anti-catabolic effect not noticed with whey protein. Additional research is demonstrating that the slow and sustained release of amino acids from micellar casein can cause a 'timed release' trickle of amino acids into the bloodstream which can last for as many as 7 full hours after ingestion.

Now then... which is best? Tell you the truth, all of these kinds of proteins offers different benefits for the body. Whey protein increases protein synthesis to the highest degree, soy protein helps you slim down, while still supplying a good amount of proteins, and micellar is a slow digesting protein that has an anti-catabolic effect that lasts for up to 7 hours.

When it comes to whey protein, though, there are many variations as to how it's derived to increase it's absorption into the body. When you browse around for a whey protein product, you'll look into the ingredients and find words like, 'whey protein concentrate', 'whey protein isolate', or 'hydrolyzed whey protein isolate'. Which is best? Flat out, the answer is hydrolyzed whey protein isolate. Whey protein concentrate products may contain 25% to 89% protein, while whey protein isolate will contain 90% and over in protein. But hydrolyzed whey protein isolate is the same as regular whey isolate, difference is the technique manufacturers use when preparing whey proteins. It's sort of "pre-digested" through the action of enzymes that's added to whey solutions to make it more easily digestable. Also, look for something called the Cross -Flow Micro/Ultra (CFM) filtration, which basically brings about the most denatured and growth-factor-rich protein available, while at the same time, maintains a high protein content.

Hard to find? I'll search for you! One of the least expensive quality protein supplements out there is from Higher Power, which contains a protein blend of all three protein types I've talked about. For post-workouts, you can check out Optimum Nutrition's 2:1:1 Recovery, which is a blend of hydrolyzed whey protein isolates and micellar casein, as well as fast digesting carbs, perfect for post-workout sessions, but doesn't contain as much protein per grams. One of the more expensive products is AHN's Muscle Food, which contains glutamine and creatine. Also great for post-workout and/or mass gaining.

Alot of products to choose from, but I hope I helped narrow the search! Hope you get good results!

Workout Motivation

I'm sure you've been swamped with bills that need to be paid. Whether it's a credit card payment, car insurance, rent/ mortgage bill, etc, you know that you need to pay them, preferably before it becomes late, or overdue. Not paying your bills can take a toll on your credit, but pay off all your fees before your past due date and your credit may rise. Simple and easy. But you have to work hard to make the payments on time. You have to focus on your financial goals.

This is pretty much the same with your physique. Dedication and concentration plus motivation will ensure you reach your goals, but this all means nothing without hard work. You can take these supplements displayed here... but they don't help much if you drink a whey protein shake and just sit on your ass all day. Neglect your body's needs, and it may take a toll on your mind (experiences of depression, diabetes, laziness, and other problems are associated with obesity, or eating unhealthy, over time). Train the body and the mind is at ease. You will gain confidence, and your health will improve, not to mention you will become increasingly stronger over time.

Your mind motivates your body. It's that point when you look at yourself in the mirror and say, "I need to start working out", that your mind makes the decision to tell you to get some exercise. It helps to be a little spontaneous at times and just get it done, but dwelling on the matter may deter you from accomplishing your goals. So think about it like this: You have to "work" to work out -- the harder you work, the better the pay.

Did you see that video to the right? Does that bodybuilder sound like the stereotypical meat head? He's pretty informative, huh? He might not know the secret to real estate investing, but he knows alot about bodybuilding. His muscle gains are attributed to his knowledge of improving the human physique.

All it takes is dedication, patience, and hard work, and you see and feel (and hear from your peers!) the benefits of exercise!

MuscleTech's NaNO x9 Review

This is the first supplement I used when I got back into exercise. I got back into it after my stint at the county "disney land" (jail) and I read magazines while I was there. They were bodybuilding magazines, and I've never really read one before. While I was flippin through the pages, I saw an ad for BSN's NO Xplode. When I got out, I wanted to try it.

So after I was released, I decided to go to GNC and buy it. But the guy there said that his customers who bought the product had negative reviews about it, and some even returned it. He recommended I take MuscleTech's NO product because of it's "Nanomolecular Rapid Explosion Technology", so I bought that one instead. Cost me $10 more though...

Well, since this was my first supplement, I decided to decrease my dosage to 3 pills (recommended dosage is 4 pills twice a day!) to see if there's any truth to their claim. And suprisingly, there is! Within 10 seconds, I noticed my body getting warmer and my focus was more intense. I started my workout with some pushups and bicep curls, and I realized I did atleast five more reps than what I usually do, and about 10 more pushups than my limit. Is this a placebo effect? I don't think so. My veins would bulge out of my skin! Everytime I took NaNO x9!

What's so good about it: It works fast, the pump is there for atleast a couple hours AFTER your workout, so you still feel it for awhile. Pretty effective NO product from MuscleTech.

The downsides are: It's really expensive. I paid about $60 for 180 caplets, which in the supplement world, is not that bad. But when you really think about it, there are other NO products out there that work just as good (possibly) without the hefty price tag. Also, the dosage is a pretty big factor for me. I don't like taking pills in the first place, and to feel the effectiveness of NaNO x9, you have to down FOUR big ones, twice a day! I just took three pre workout. Works for me.

Conclusion: You're puttin stuff into your body everyday, so why not spend the extra bucks to get a product that really works effectively? It works in seconds, and it lasts for hours! If you're a bodybuilder, you might wanna take the recommended dosage. But if you have a small frame like me, three is good enough before working out, to reduce fatigue and increase strength for that last rep!

The Lemonade Diet?

I was doing some searching around on the latest fad diets, and I came across one called the Lemonade Diet. People are saying this is another way of losing weight via the Lemonade Diet. I'm not a positive testimony to that claim.

Years ago, I myself have done this "diet". I drank a bottle of Minute Maid Lemonade atleast once a day for it's antioxidant properties. I didn't have any knowledge about antioxidants at the time, but I felt that drinking alot of lemonade reduced your risk of sickness. And I barely got sick for that whole year. I didn't even get the flu during the winter, and that was a big deal, as I usualy did every year. I felt invincible to sickness. It was a good feeling.

Far as drinking lemonade to lose weight, I never lost an ounce of fat during my lemonade drinking days. The only benefit I got was not getting sick. I think one of the reasons why some feel it helps lose weight is because they reduce the total calories they eat in the day, substituting some meals with lemonade. I know lemonade can be beneficial, but not beneficial enough to be a good meal replacement. Actually, eating a small portion of meals up to six times a day can really help you lose weight and stay energized... but that's another story in the future.

Drinking lemonade can help your immune system, and provide antioxidants. But it's possible that your weightloss via the "Lemonade Diet" is probably due to a placebo effect. Like you think you have more energy, so you become more active.

Lesson of the day is: Diet's don't work, weight watcher's does! xD